


The Nightmare

by LawrIsNotMocked



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Schönberg/Boublil, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Cuddling, Dreams and Nightmares, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love, M/M, Nightmare, The Past, comforting discussions, dream - Freeform, fears, gratitude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-28
Updated: 2017-11-28
Packaged: 2019-02-08 02:35:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12854889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LawrIsNotMocked/pseuds/LawrIsNotMocked
Summary: Javert has a recurring nightmare.  Valjean tries to comfort him, and it kind of works.





	The Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to leave comments/suggestions! :)

It was 2am when Jean Valjean awoke with a great start. A voice, unnaturally high and panicked, shrieked next to him, “Please!! Don’t leave!” Javert’s eyes flew open as his arms shot out in front of him. He was on his side, so his arms happened to hit Valjean during this wild outburst. 

“Javert! What on earth-“

“Jean?” He let out a sigh. “Jesus, I… I think I was having a nightmare.”

Valjean, concerned, looked at Javert whose pale eyes were shining with what appeared to be tears in the moonlight. That poor man! Valjean wrapped his arms around Javert, who was still too sleepy and disoriented to realize he had shed a few tears. Valjean knew his lover would never let him see him this way if he was aware of his state. He held him, quietly ‘shhh’ing him, stroking his head and hair. It seemed to sooth the distraught man. Valjean was glad Javert was still not fully awake, because he did enjoy holding and soothing Javert so, and rarely got the chance when the man was alert and awake. After a few minutes, Javert was more aware of his surroundings and pulled back a little. It’s not that he didn’t enjoy being held, but sometimes he just needed a little more space to himself. Especially after something like this. Valjean asked, “Would you feel better if you told me what you’d been dreaming about?”

“Probably not.”

“That bad?”

“Just… upsetting. Was I talking in my sleep? Did I say anything?”

“You yelled ‘don’t leave.’”

“Ugh.”

Valjean quietly offered, “Was it about your childhood..?”

“No, actually.”

He urged Javert, “Then who?” He knew it would make him feel better in the long run if he got this nightmare off his chest and out of his mind.

“Who else would I not want to leave me?” Javert was dancing around the answer, embarrassed, and mildly annoyed Valjean was either this dense or acting coy.

“I can’t imagine who el-ohhh.”

“There it is.”

“Oh Javert, you know I would never-“

“I know. Sometimes I just get this… this horrible sort of recurring theme in my nightmares that you let me die that night, or that you let me fall in love with you, then leave me soon after. It’s just… unbearable. I hate that I keep having these dreams.”

Valjean had no reply. He could only watch the usually very stoic, brave inspector recede within himself as he shared these horrible thoughts that plagued his mind at night. Tonight was definitely a night he’d be a little more standoffish and need his space.

“Do you ever dream about your childhood?”

“Not really. Those thoughts are long gone from my memory, mostly. I don’t know… they never really bothered me, I guess. The way I grew up just sort of made me who I am, and didn’t trouble me. But when I think about you leaving me or turning away from me when I need you… or you never saving me… it scares me.” Javert’s gaze seemed far away, unfocused. The tears had dried up or maybe been hastily wiped away a moment ago.

Valjean had never heard the man say he was scared of anything. It was a bit shocking. He didn’t think the inspector could be afraid of anything, the way he acted. Valjean knew he wouldn’t be able to forget the way Javert’s voice sounded tonight. So panicked, so oddly shrill and desperate. Like he was pleading. It made his heart heavy to think of that sound.

“I’ll never leave you, my love.” Valjean looked at the pale eyes he’d come to love so much over the past few years. They re-focused on Valjean.

“I know. Those damned nightmares just feel so real sometimes.” Javert frowned slightly and closed his eyes.

“Everyone has bad dreams sometimes. You just have to remember that they’re not real.”

“Of course.”

“I have nightmares too, sometimes. Of Toulon and the war.”

“Oh?” Javert re-opened his eyes.

“It’s true. And other times I remember my sister and her family… sort of makes me sad, then. Not so much a nightmare.”

“That’s awful.”

Valjean gave a sort of sad smile. “Sometimes it seems awful, yes. But then I remember I live right here, right now, with you. Those things are in the past. I can’t change the past or how things happened. I’m just glad some of them happened the way they did.”

“Hm.”

“Try to get some sleep now, my love. No more nightmares.”

“I’ll do my best,” Javert smirked.

“You always do.”

“Goodnight, Jean.”

“Goodnight.” 

After a while, Javert fell asleep again into a more peaceful slumber, and Valjean stayed awake with much on his mind after their discussion. Finally, just before drifting off, he inched closer to the sleeping inspector, wrapped his arms around him, whispered, “I love you,” and kissed his cheek. Though he was still soundly asleep, the inspector sighed and smiled slightly. The reaction lightened Valjean’s heart, and he finally fell asleep. That night, he dreamt of his sister and her children and greeted them all fondly again; the dream blended into a recreation of the tiring, long night Valjean pulled Javert from the river, and finally gave way to a scene of him and Cosette when she was a child, the two of them flying over Paris at night, her giggling in delight at the beautiful city lights.


End file.
